Invest in refugees...support their initiatives!

Within the first three months of 2021, here's what we've accomplished with the support of our GlobalGiving community of donors. 

In 2020, our team conducted extensive interviews with more than a dozen refugee-led community-based organizations in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi that submitted applications for funding. We're now thrilled to introduce you to our first grant partner of 2021—Green  Uhuru, founded in 2018 by two refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dieudonne Mudekuza and Lackson Archangel. It is a refugee-led environmental conservation organization addressing two challenges in the camp—the unhealthy amount of waste and the dependency on charcoal and firewood for cooking, a cause of local deforestation.

Green Uhuru figured out how to develop briquettes made of recycled waste as alternative cooking fuel. In 2019 it began selling briquettes to refugee and local families and conducting training on environmental conservation. The result—reduced waste, increased demand for briquettes, profitable operation, and jobs created for women in the camp. Because of their proven success and inspiring vision for impact, in January 2021, we awarded Green Uhuru $10,000 to enable their team to scale their efforts.

1. Train 240 refugees to create briquettes and garden beds from recycled waste as a means to make a living.  

2. Purchase machines to double the production of briquettes, producing a return on investment of more than $7,700 to sustain the organization's operations. 

3. Help 60 refugee families create at-home garden beds from recycled waste (sacks, tires, buckets) to grow food for consumption and as a source of household income. 

• Three one-week trainings completed with 60 refugees 

• Machines and equipment purchased to increase the production of their briquettes 

• Team meetings and delegation of roles and responsibilities of staff to enable 

transparency and teambuilding 

"We are now expecting good things with our project because we have everything that we need. 

Our team is feeling incredibly excited since all the machines have been purchased and delivered. The team has all the reasons to smile. Because last year, we were producing briquettes with manual machines and the process was very tedious. The work was tiresome. This time, we feel that the work will be easier with the machines. Everyone is eager to start to produce the briquettes. Thank you very much for FRI, because your funds empowered us, and we are expecting that this year will be successful in our project." 

"I was born in Burundi. I have been a refugee in Dzaleka Camp for more than 20 years now. The biggest challenge I face is poverty. My husband only gets a little bit of work from time to time, and we have a big family. I started to work with Green Uhuru as a volunteer in 2018. I liked the initiative of recycling waste into briquette for selling and for a source of cooking energy. Green Uhuru helped me to improve my income. Through Green Uhuru, I learned a lot of things that have helped my life, such as making briquettes, peanut butter, handwashing soap, and running a business. Also, with Green Uhuru, I have a chance to interact with different people instead of staying home with nothing to do, only worrying about everyday problems." 

We know that refugees have ideas intended to solve the challenges they face and to create opportunities in their community. Our goal is to provide the resources and partnerships they need to carry them out. 

In February, we launched a Call for Proposals—the first of its kind—to identify promising but under-resourced refugee-led initiatives in south Chad. We actually received 3,717 applications from individuals and groups across five camps. We have not seen the submissions yet; however, the number of applications demonstrates the communities' needs and energy.  

Over three weeks, our partner in Chad, ACRA, held community meetings, conducted household visits, and made radio announcements to reach as many people as possible. We wanted to ensure that everyone above the age of 16, especially women and youth, were aware of the opportunity and felt comfortable applying. Here are the contours of their outreach.

• 30 community meetings 

• 1,489 men, women, and youth attended (530 men, 406 women, and 474 youth)

• 266 households visited

• 21 radio announcements 

"The refugee community response was positive! There was a lot of excitement about the Call for Proposals. Finally, people said, an opportunity directed to them."

— Outreach team member 

We'll be reviewing and selecting grantees on a rolling basis for months to come. We plan to fund five to seven initiatives in the first instance, offering up to $5,000 for each initiative and providing ongoing technical assistance and peer-mentorship. 

 

Thank you for supporting FRI and making it possible for thousands of refugees from the Central African Republic to participate in the Call for Proposals. The majority of CAR refugees in southern Chad have been living in camps for more than a decade. With their country again in turmoil, opportunities to mobilize their initiatives and leadership are essential to shaping a more peaceful future. 

Folder with photos of Green Uhuru machines, training, and of Esperance to accompany her quote.